Illegal Recruiter's Victims File Charges
By Rosli Abidin Yahya

Bandar Seri Begawan - Two Filipinos allegedly promised non-existent jobs in Brunei lodged a complaint to the Philippine National Police's Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (CIDU) in Central Luzon in the Philippines.

The Sun Star reported the two victims filed the complaint against an alleged illegal recruiter.

The Philippines Embassy here confirmed the two Filipinos sought its help and had filed a formal complaint against the recruiter.

However, the embassy said it was too late because the victims were given a final stamp to exit Brunei and they had returned to the Philippines.

The complainants alleged they and 20 other applicants were housed in one big room in Jalan Muara.

They said they were able to flee after they sought help from Philippine Embassy officials in Brunei, who facilitated their safe return last September 17 via the Clark International Airport.

The victims were recruited in the Philippines by the person who promised' them decent jobs.

They reportedly paid P154, 000 ($4,800) as processing fee. On July 22, the two arrived in Brunei as tourists, via the Clark-Kota Kinabalu-Brunei route. They were assured their working visas would be released as soon as they arrived in Brunei.

"We stayed at the house for one-and-half months, waiting for our working visas," the victims said.

Their visas never came. "So we lost our patience and fled to the Filipino Workers Resource Centre in Jalan Madewa, Brunei Darussalam with the help of other overseas workers," the victims said.

On September 13, they filed a formal complaint against the recruiter at the embassy.

Police in the Philippines said charges of trafficking of persons will be filed against the persons responsible for "illegal recruitment". -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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